Shadow Wings
by leopardspotz17
Summary: Itex has fallen, and Max is finally relaxed. That is until Angel requests another trip to New York. Post CoG Clary's 18th Birthday tumbles into disarray when they discover a demon attacking a tall lanky boy they meet in a new popular club, Shadow Wings.
1. Prologue

**Hello and Welcome to **_**Shadow Wings**_** a new fanfic I promise to finish! Even if it kills me. That was my New Year's Resolution. So I thought Maximum Ride would provide to be a good crossover with The Mortal Instruments. The whole genetic experiments look like angels thing would be interesting with the Mortal Instruments characters. Forgive any mistakes, I don't have the books with me as I write this. Oh yes- Max is 18, Fang is 18, Iggy is 18, Nudge is 16, Gazzy is 12, and Angel is 10. I think I got the age differences right… :) Enjoy the prologue! And yes, I do realize it is short.**

**Disclaimer – I do not own either of these series.**

_Prologue_

**Max POV**

I sighed contentedly on the porch, my wings hanging off the sides of the hammock. I was lying on my stomach with Green Day blasting through my headphones. This was living. After Itex went down my life was actually peaceful, well as peaceful as you can get with Nudge talking non-stop and Gazzy and Iggy trying to construct a bomb out of anything solid. I closed my eyes focusing on the warmth of the afternoon sun. Ah, Arizona, how I love your weather.

"Hi Max!" Familiar blond curls framed the now 10-year-old Angel. She was a sweet kid, but damn, this kid had learned to be annoying as hell these past four years. What happened to my saintly, little six-year-old?!

Angel frowned.

"Come on, Max. You know I'm not _that_ bad," she said. Well that was another contributor to the annoyance; the whole mind reading thing was a total breech of privacy.

_Get Out of My Head_ I thought pointedly at her. She just smiled.

"Not happening Max. It's too much fun! Anyways, I came out here to ask you if we could go to New York again…" she trailed off looking at me hopefully.

"Sure." I shrugged. Angel squealed in excitement and she ran off, probably to find Nudge.

_Huh, I guess she thought I'd say no,_ I thought. It was true though, that I would've said no years ago back when every decision was a gamble with our lives. But with Itex gone, and all the Erasers terminated there couldn't be anything else out to kill us right?


	2. Chapter 1 Surprise!

**Time for chapter one! I don't really have anything to say except that I'm planning on writing a Hunger Games fanfic where you guys (waves to reviewers) can submit your own characters. I'm just waiting for permission to start, but I can guarantee that I will start next week. Directions will follow with the first post of that story. I already have a character (female, District 4) that will be in it. Get a character in mind! Ok time for you to read!**

**Disclaimer – I do not own the Maximum Ride series nor do I own the Mortal Instrument Series.**

_Chapter 1 – Surprise_

**Clary POV**

"Hey Simon!" I called jogging up the block to meet him outside _Forbidden_ _Planet_. He turned around holding a comic book featuring Wolverine grinning manically on the cover. He grinned when he saw me.

"Hey Clary, what's up?" He stepped out into the street, squinting in the midday sun. I frowned. He, of all people, should know what day it is.

"You want to take a guess?" I asked, prompting him.

"You're art was accepted into that student art gallery?" He asked.

"No! Well, yes, but isn't there anything you want to say to me today?" I said, becoming more irritated.

"No not really. Why?"

I sighed.

"Never mind." I said, shaking my head. I should have known. Even Simon didn't remember. And if he didn't, then why should I assume that Jace did either?

Simon caught onto my mood.

"Hey, do you want to go to Luke's? We could order pizza for lunch." He smiled. Who knew a vampire's smile could hold so much warmth? I smiled back.

"Sure. Sounds great."

We walked into Luke's through the bookstore front. I turned to hang my green velvet coat on the coat hanger.

"I'll meet you in the kitchen, 'kay?" called Simon, strolling down the hall and into the kitchen. I dumped all my stuff on the counter next to the register and walked down the hall to the kitchen door.

_Funny,_ _all the lights are out_, I thought.

"Hey Simon? Did the light bulb burn out or something?" I reached to the wall and flipped the switch.

"SURPRISE!!!" I jumped nearly three feet in the air making Jace howl with laughter. My face grew heated and I knew I was blushing furiously.

"_Not_ funny!" I yelled, as he pulled me towards him and kissed me. When I pulled away he was smirking.

"Forgive me?" he asked, smug satisfaction just pouring off of him. I tapped my chin thoughtfully.

"Hmmm… No. You're too much of an ass." I said, smiling. Before he could respond a certain raven-haired girl weaved her way through the crowd of people towards me.

"Clary! Happy Birthday!!" She hugged me, laughing the whole time. I smiled, but I was still mad that they made me think that they had forgotten my birthday.

"That was cruel! This whole time I assumed that everyone had just forgot. Don't think I'll forget this." I said, looking at her seriously.

"Oh, just shut up and eat your cake," she said, waving towards the kitchen table. The little room was packed with members of Luke's pack, Shadowhunters, family and friends, and of course one, _very_ tall warlock. I finally got to the table and sat down just as Jace put a birthday hat on my head.

"What do you think I am, two?" I asked him turning around to catch his golden eyes.

"No, but I've never had a real birthday party. Do this for me. I'm living vicariously through you," he said, smiling his stupid head off. But I left the hat on.

"Time for cake!" called my mom, as she came through the door holding a pink and purple cake on a tray. Everyone cheered.

"Don't you think it's a little early for cake?" I asked, raising an eyebrow (Yes I can do it now! Jace taught me and, after many frustrated rants on his part, I can now raise one eyebrow!).

"You going to refuse free cake?" she asked. I shook my head "no" and Simon went to close the blinds on the windows while Mom lit the candles. Finally Magnus turned off the lights.

18 burning candles flickered as a chorus of "Happy Birthday" rang out through the room. I took a breath and quickly wished for something random, a new book maybe. Then Mom cut up the cake and everyone dug in. I wondered what the rest of my birthday would be like as I finished the cake, scraping the last of the purple frosting off the paper plate.

"Um, where are we exactly?" I asked, grasping Isabelle's hand while trying not to rip the blindfold from my eyes.

"Sorry that information's classified," Isabelle said, still dragging me who-knows-where. I began to hear the pulsing beat of a bass and I had a somewhat clear idea of where she took me.

"Is this all really necessary?" I sighed. Isabelle said nothing, instead untying the blindfold. I opened my eyes and saw, in neon lights, the name of a club. _Shadow Wings _shone in blue while an innocent looking angel wore devil horns and carried a red trident. On closer inspection, the angel was dressed in red and it was smiling deviously.

"You took me _clubbing_ for my birthday?" I asked incredulously. I can't say I didn't see this coming. I mean, it was _so_ Isabelle, but nevertheless I was surprised.

"Of course! What did you expect me to do? Take you to Chuck E. Cheese's? Nope, you're an adult now, so I took you to _Shadow Wings_. And don't worry; it's just like _Pandemonium_,except this one has just been renovated. It's supposed to be _so_ cool," Isabelle raved.

"Ok, ok… as long as you don't turn me into a rat." I smirked.

"I resent that," replied Isabelle, frowning. Suddenly, my eyes were covered again, this time by a pair of hands.

"Guess who!" a ridiculously high voice squeaked.

"Hi Maia. Nice try though," I said, laughing. When I turned, Maia was frowning.

"I just never seem to win," she sighed.

I looked back to the entrance of the club. Needless to say, it was intimidating. A long line stretched down the block and I saw the numerous fairies, warlocks, and vampires standing among the mundanes. I gulped. Well at least I would blend in.

Before we left the Institute, Isabelle managed to get me into a fancy forest green dress. She piled my hair up on top of my head in an elegant manner, leaving a few stray curls to hang down. Undoubtedly, she had wanted something much more… extravagant, with glitter and makeup. However, I convinced her to let me go in something subtle. In the end, there was no glitter, the dress was longer than the original one she chose, and I only wore a bit of green eye shadow and mascara.

On the other hand, Isabelle herself was like a peacock in the middle of a flock of pigeons. She was in an unbelievably short, fiery, red dress. The high heels she wore were also blood red; the heels themselves were actually silver spikes. The dress shimmered as she moved, and flashes of bright yellow and orange shown in the light. Her hair was somewhat the same, with streaks of red, orange, and yellow, in striking contrast with her black hair. Her makeup also used fiery colors. Finally, her golden whip was curled around her wrist. She was ablaze and dangerous looking… just how she liked it.

Maia was similar to me with her dress choice. It was black as night, and about the same length as mine. With simple makeup she looked quite normal, until she gave me a wolfish grin.

"Well, are we going in or not? It's cold out here, and all I have for warmth is this dress!" she said, already striding toward the door. I took a deep breath and followed Izzy and Maia toward the door, where they were already talking to the outrageously large bouncer.

"Isabelle Lightwood, Maia Greymark, and Clarissa Fray, I believe we're on the VIP list." Isabelle said, tapping the clipboard. Maia frowned a little bit at the last name we gave her, but hey, it was her own fault. She never told us her real last name. Also, "Fray" was less conspicuous than "Fairchild". The bouncer waved us through, looking bored until he saw Isabelle's dress. I thought his eyes would fall out of his head.

We entered through the velvet-covered door and heard Lady Gaga blasting through the speakers. I cringed through the chorus of _Poker Face_. That woman had something seriously wrong with her. Colored lights were flashing throughout the room, the strobe lights giving me a small headache.

A new song started up and Isabelle and Maia dragged me out onto the dance floor, giggling and laughing the entire way. Isabelle swung her hips, making it look like the dance floor itself had caught on fire. Then, I listened to what song was playing. Turned out it was _Fire Burning, _by Sean Kingston. Well, that made much more sense. I danced half-heartedly, instead taking the time to look around.

Isabelle was right. It was really nice. It was relatively clean for a club and had a very modern feel. Angel and devil scenes were painted on the walls and I could see why Isabelle picked this place. The bar only served soda and other G-rated beverages, thank God. The last thing I needed was a drunk Isabelle or another person turned into a rat. Lastly, I noticed that Isabelle wasn't the only spontaneous dresser in the room. People were dressed as crazily as they were at _Pandemonium_; some even had _wings_ for goodness sake!

After about two hours, we were sitting at the bar drinking Shirley temples, and Maia was talking to a tall, lanky teenager with strawberry blond hair. I looked for Isabelle, who had disappeared. I discovered that she had escaped to one of the lounge chairs and was kissing what looked like a fairy.

_Oh no, not again_. I thought. I walked over to Maia who was still in a deep conversation with the strawberry blonde.

"-Are you kidding?! Wolves are so much cooler than plain old birds! They hunt in packs, can take things down as big as a bison, _and_ run super fast!" Maya protested.

"You're nuts. I'm not just talking about 'plain old birds'. I'm taking about falcons! They can also hunt in groups if you didn't know, have super sharp senses, _and_ the peregrine falcon can reach speeds over 200 miles per hour!" The boy argued.

"Um, sorry to interrupt, but we kind of need to go now," I said, cutting off Maia's next dispute. She looked at me confusedly and then saw Isabelle pinned underneath fairy, now in a full make out session.

"I see," said Maia. She slid off the bar stool before turning to face the strawberry blonde again.

"Sorry, Jeff, I got to run but it was nice talking to you." said Maia, pulling her bag over her shoulder.

"Yeah, it was nice to meet you, but I've got to fly as well." he said, smiling wryly. He got up a walked towards the door.

"Ok. Let's get Isabelle and go home," I said, and Maia nodded in agreement.

In the end we had to yank Isabelle off of the fairy. Thankfully, we were able to pull her out the door before she could give him her number. The cool night air seemed to clear her head a little bit, but she still was giggling and acting intoxicated. I sighed. Even without alcohol Isabelle still managed to get herself drunk. Maia and I supported her as we near the street to hail a taxi. That's when I heard the blood-curdling scream.

I locked eyes with Maia and she nodded. We told Isabelle to wait there; she was clearly in no condition to help. We ran down an alley towards the location of the yell. There at the end of the narrow street was Jeff, bleeding profusely from the shoulder and leg. And there, dragging the boy by the foot, was an Oni demon.

I stumbled back in shock, what did the demon want with this random boy? Maia was already morphed into a wolf and leapt at the demon. It screeched and left Jeff to attack Maia, whose teeth were already sunk into one of it's many appendages.

The screams of the demon brought Jeff back into semi-consciousness. His eyes opened. When he saw Maia and the demon wrestling on the ground he scrambled back, eyes wide with fear and disbelief. I guess he would be afraid and in shock if he'd just been attacked by a strange creature. I quickly slid a kinjal out of its sheath and threw it at the Oni demon. It flew straight and true and buried itself in the demon's head. Maia morphed back into her human form as the demon melted away in its own pool of blood. Jeff was still semi-conscious and was regarded Maia with fear and hatred.

"Oh my God! Jeff, are you all right? Jeez that's a _lot_ of blood. Here let me help." Maia said, nearly hysterical she rummaged around in her bag. She pulled out some rubbing alcohol and gauze and moved toward Jeff who glared.

"Get away from me, you abomination," he snarled, backing farther away. Maia's hurt turned quickly into anger.

"Hey! I just saved your life, you ungrateful bastard!" she growled.

"Maia! Stop. He's probably in shock. We need to get him back to the Institute," I said. Jeff's eyes widened even more.

"No! You can't!" He struggled to get up but his injured leg prevented him from doing so.

"Max will avenge me, you know. She'll kill all of you." He whispered, grinning, before he blacked out again.

"Wow. That's some pretty intense shock," said Maia, who bent over to wrap up his wounds.

"Yeah, he definitely needs medical attention. How fast can you run while human?" I asked.

"Pretty damn fast. Don't worry I'll get him there. I think the real thing to worry about is this Max person. If he thinks that Jeff here was kidnapped by us that could be a real problem," she said, picking up Jeff awkwardly. That boy was _tall_.

"We'll figure that out later. But right now he needs to be cleaned up, and we need Magnus to erase his memory about this happening," I said.

Maia nodded, and took off running. With all the traffic she'd get to the Institute faster by running than taking a taxi, and plus, it's not like you can take a bleeding boy into a cab without a background story. I was just too tired to come up with a convincing lie. I pulled out my cell phone and called Jace, who was back at the Institute. I briefly explained what happened then hung up. I found Isabelle who had fallen asleep at the curb and hailed a taxi. It was going to be a long night.


	3. Chapter 2 Losing Iggy

**Hey. Sorry this took so long. I've been working on my Hunger Games fic, and, unfortunately, I haven't been giving enough attention to Shadow Wings. Here's chapter two.**

**Disclaimer – I don't own anything.**

_Chapter 2 – Losing Iggy_

Max POV

I stretched out across the hotel bed nearly hitting Nudge in the nose. I sighed happily. I still couldn't get over the feel of waking up in a bed in the morning rather than in a tree. I got up out of bed and walked towards the small kitchen we had gotten with our room. I sat down at one of the stools that were next to the breakfast bar, and shook out some cereal from the _Cinnamon Toast Crunch_ box that Gazzy left out from last night. The kid had some odd food cravings but at least I didn't have to look for breakfast. As I poured milk into a glass I thought about how smooth our trip was.

Of course, since we have money now, we don't have to use our wings to get everywhere. Planes still left the flock and me uneasy, but you get used to it. These days, we lounged around in first class, Fang and I watching the on demand movies, Iggy listening to music, and Gazzy asking the stewardesses where stuff in the airplane toilet went after you flushed it. Good times.

Today, we were planning on walking around New York City, and going to see a Broadway musical at night. Nudge picked it out. _Wicked,_ I think. Total was all hyped up when he heard that it was a variation on The Wizard of Oz. That is until Nudge told him Toto wasn't featured in it. After that he went on and on about how no story could be any good without a dog.

"You're up early." Fang was slouching against the doorframe, yawning. I couldn't help but notice that he wasn't wearing a shirt, just shorts, and I stared and his chest. I looked away quickly, but Fang had noticed and was smirking. I quickly started talking.

"In case you haven't noticed it's already 9:30," I pointed out, gesturing to the digital clock on the microwave.

"_Exactly._ This is _way_ to early, for any sane person." Fang sat down on a stool next to me and grabbed the box of cereal.

"Ugh. How can anyone stand to wake up before 10 am?" He groaned, running a hand through his hair, which was sticking up wildly from sleep.

"We were waking up at dawn when we were on the run from Itex," I said.

"Well, I'm a teenage boy ok? We NEED sleep," Fang said, exasperated.

"Hi guys!" Nudge walked in, all bright and happy.

Now, I wake up earlier than Fang does, but I'm never fully ready for the day until I've eaten breakfast at the very least. Nudge, on the other hand, wakes up all bright and peppy every morning. She padded across the floor in her fuzzy pink slippers, coupled with her zebra stripped pajama bottoms and a black tank top. Her hair was long and put in braids.

She opened the fridge and pulled out orange juice, a banana, and peanut butter. Then she walked over to the grocery bag that was left out on the counter and retrieved a bag of rice cakes. She took out one of the rice cakes and spread the peanut butter over it. Then she cut up the banana and put the thin slices of it on top of the rice cake. She took a big bite out of it happily. Meanwhile, Fang and I were watching her in confusion and revulsion.

"How can you eat that?" Fang asked, stupefied. His nose was wrinkled in disgust.

"What do you mean? It tastes good _and_ it's healthy for you," she said, while pouring orange juice into a tall glass.

"The real question is how you can eat _that_. It's just cinnamon sugar!" Nudge added, with a pointed look at the _Cinnamon Toast Crunch_ box.

"Nuh uh. See, the "toast" part is made out of whole wheat." I said, pointing at the print on the side of the box. Nudge just rolled her eyes and ate her disgustingly healthy breakfast.

"Good morning." Iggy was the next to walk in.

His hand was brushing against the wall as he navigated his way through the little kitchen. He found a pan in the cupboard under the cutlery drawer, and set it on the stove. He started going through the fridge, pulling out eggs and cheese.

"Omelets anyone?" he asked as he cracks eggs. Choruses of, "Yes, please" and "Hell Yeah!" was enough to wake up Gazzy and Angel.

Gazzy stumbled in, rubbing his eyes. But the smell of food quickly woke him up. Angel, on the other hand, was practically sleepwalking. She was even worse than Fang was when it came to mornings. You'd think a ten-year-old would have more energy.

"Only crazy people have energy at this ungodly hour." Angel mumbled, reading my thoughts.

"Well you better get moving. You were the one that wanted to go to NYC, and I'm not going to let the day go to waste!" I said.

I grabbed a plate with a hot omelet Iggy just whipped up, and wolfed it down in seconds. Then I hurried to the bedroom I shared with Angel and Nudge to get clothes. A minute later, I was in the shower and out of it and got dressed in record time. Super-speed is a wonderful thing. I slowed down a bit to put in my earrings. Yes, I know. _Maximum Ride_ get _earrings_?! It may seem like the sign of the apocalypse, but after spending so much free time with Ella and Nudge you come to like these things!

Before I exited the bathroom, I looked myself over. Black jeans, dark purple t-shirt, and gray leather jacket. Coupled with silver hoops, I was ready for the city. No make-up, however. Nudge hadn't gotten me to do that yet. I did give her an A for effort though.

When I got back to the kitchen, Iggy was dressed as well. Everyone else took longer, but after a half-hour we were out the door. We spent the day doing all sorts of stuff. Nudge dragged us all into Bloomingdales among many other stores. Angel was hyped up to go to Dylan's Candy Bar, where she got every single flavor of pixie stick imaginable. She was on a sugar high for about three hours afterward. Then we went to lunch at an amazing Dim Sum place in China Town. Later, Gazzy and Iggy wanted to go into the Nintendo Center. Finally, Fang got his wish to go to the Rockefeller Ice Rink, which was already frozen over due to high demand and low temperatures. This fall was pretty cold.

By the time we got off the ice, it was five-o-clock. It was a great day, and I suggested we head back to the hotel room so we could chill for a while. We ordered a bunch of large pizzas and pigged out in the hotel room. I then checked online to make sure we'd get to the performance of _Wicked_ on time_._

"Do I have to go?" Iggy groaned.

He hated musicals. When we watched movies he can follow along by listening to the dialogue, but with musicals they sing instead. It tends to have the nasty side effect of getting stuck in Iggy's head. For weeks afterward the soundtrack would be playing through his mind.

"No you don't have too. I just figured you would be bored in the hotel room," I said.

"Believe me, it's ok. I'll probably end up taking a nap, I am so full," he groaned, rubbing his stomach.

We took a cab to Broadway. While everyone waited in line, I searched for someone who would buy Iggy's ticket from me. In the end, I sold his ticket to a family who needed an extra. As we were walking in, we all took playbills.

"Shoot. I forgot about Idina Menzel and Kristen Chenoweth. They were the _best_! Too bad they're not doing the show anymore," I heard Nudge say disappointedly. But even without those two, the show was still amazing. It was ten pm by the time we got back to the hotel room.

"Hey Iggy! We're back!" I called. No answer.

"Iggy!" I shouted once more. Nothing.

"Iggy?!" I was freaking out now. Even with Itex being gone for a while, I still panicked when someone from my flock was missing.

"Max, calm down. There's a note on the fridge," Fang called from the kitchen. He handed me the note.

_Dear Max,_

_You were right. Got bored, went out clubbing. See you later._

_~ Iggy._

"Of all the nerve!" I was fuming.

_Take a nap, my ass! _I thought angrily.

"Nudge, Gazzy, Angel, you'll be fine in the hotel room for a while right?" I asked. They all nodded, turned on the TV, and began watching CSI reruns.

"Come on, Fang. Let's go find Iggy. Nudge! Call me if he shows up here," I yelled as I shut the door behind me.

"So, we going clubbing?" Fang asked, grinning. I rolled my eyes.

"In your dreams. No, what we're doing is finding Iggy so I can beat the crap out of him," I said.

"But after you do that, _then_ can we go clubbing?" he asked hopefully.

"What do you think?" I asked glaring at him. He smirked.

It was hours later and I still hadn't found Iggy. We'd checked a bunch of clubs but still no infuriating blind kid. I was really getting scared for him. I called his cell phone hundreds of times, but it just kept ringing until it went to voice mail. Fang and I landed on a rooftop and we climbed down the fire escape. The next club we were at was called _Shadow Wings_. I hurried up to the bouncer, Fang right behind me.

"Have you seen this kid?" I asked frantically, holding up a picture of Iggy. To my great relief and surprise, the guy nodded.

"Yeah, he was in here, but not anymore. He left about and hour ago in that direction," he said, pointing down the street. I thanked him hastily and sped off in the direction he pointed.

As I passed an alleyway, I stopped dead. The smell of blood invaded my nose. I cautiously walked down the alley, shining my keychain flashlight everywhere. Then I saw a patch of crimson on the pavement. I gasped and swung the flashlight over the area. The patch of blood was located up against the wall of the alleyway and next to it was a ripped piece of clothing. I picked it up and felt dread wash over me. It was Iggy's jacket.

I turned to Fang, whose eyes were lit up with rage. His nose was scrunched up in disgust and hate as well. That's when the other smell hit me. Dog. Or more specifically wolf. Even more specifically – _Eraser_. Oh God, they were back. I didn't take the time to think how. All I knew is that they had Iggy.

The great thing about being a human-avian hybrid was that all your senses are sharpened. Our sense of smell wasn't as great as an Eraser's, but they were good enough. That along with the nearly invisible drops of blood we spotted lead us to an old abandoned church.

"Why are Erasers taking Iggy to a church?" Fang asked. At that moment, I didn't care for the reason. I just wanted to get in. I pulled on the ancient doors, which, surprisingly, held fast.

"Wait a second! What the hell am I doing, pulling on doors?! Let's just fly up and break in through a window!" I said to Fang. In no time at all, we were parallel with a large window.

"Ready? One. Two. Three!" We both sped at the window, which broke on contact. We rolled onto… a carpet? I shook off the glass and look around to see… a library? And kids? Ok, what was going on?


	4. Angels or Genetic Experiments?

**I'M BA-ACK! That's right. It's finally summer and I can continue with my fanfics! Huzzah! Without further ado, enjoy.**

_Chapter 3 – Angels, Demons, Genetic Experiments… What's the Difference?_

**Clary POV:**

The cab pulled up to the curb of the Institute fifteen minutes later. I paid the fare, and hauled a sleeping Isabelle out of the backseat. Isabelle woke up a little bit, and leaned on me for support as she walked to the door. The instant her hand touched the knob the door gave way.

Jace was standing on the other side of the door and reached out to help Isabelle. He gave me an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry that your birthday ended this way," he said.

"You Shadowhunters, always apologizing for things you can't control," I replied. I smiled at him.

"Don't worry about it. I'm used to the expect-the-unexpected life," I said.

We rode up the elevator exchanging news. Jace had met Maia at the door, much like he did with us. Jeff was asleep in the infirmary, and Maryse and Alec were attending to him. I had barely anything to tell him, except that the club was okay. Maia had already told him about the Oni demon. The elevator doors slid open and we brought Isabelle to her room. She promptly fell asleep as soon as she hit the mattress.

"Jace!" Alec's voice carried down the hallway. He was sprinting down the hall, sliding to a stop in front of them.

"You guys have to see this," he panted.

Alec turned around and started running the way he had come. Jace easily matched his speed, but I was struggling to keep up. Note to self: buy a treadmill or something. Luckily, the infirmary wasn't too far. Jeff's room was located at the very end of the hall, to the right. Alec opened the door and pushed us in. My breath caught in my throat.

Huge, black and white wings, sprouted from Jeff's shoulder blades. If I had to guess, I'd say they're about 14 feet across. He was still out cold, and long gashes ran down his front, and his right leg was clearly broken. But those injuries barely registered with me as I stared dumbly at the wings.

I had seen angels before, but they were unlike this one. But that may be because one was at the brink of death, and the other was _the_ Angel. Jeff was really something different. He was lanky and tall, looking like your average teenage boy. But his wounds were a lot better off than they were supposed to be. I had seen what an Oni could do to you. Jeff just looked like he got mugged. Believe me, a mugging is a picnic at the park compared to a demon.

Jeff grunted a little bit and turned his head. His eyes opened.

"Where am I?" he groaned. He tried to sit up and hissed at the pain from the deep cuts. Maryse had bandaged him up and did as much as she could to disinfect the gashes.

"Don't worry we're taking care of you," I said.

"Who are you? Where's Max? And _where_ am I?" Jeff repeated his earlier question.

"I'm Clary. Where you are isn't very important at the moment. You were mugged in an alley. We found you unconscious and brought you here," I lied.

"That certainly didn't feel like a mugging," he mumbled. Suddenly, his eyes widened.

_You,"_ he hissed.

"I know your voice. I'm at the Institute aren't I?" He bared his teeth threateningly. I was terribly confused. What did an angel hate the Institute for?

"What? No dog crates this time around?" he continued.

"What are you talking about? I've never seen you before the club!" I spat, growing angrier.

"Likely story. Where's your eraser friend? Or are you one too?" Jeff's fists were clenched at his sides.

"Look! I saved your stupid ass, you may as well be thankful for it!" I yelled.

"Saved me? You've all damned me! All you freak scientists do is ruin my life!"

Jeff leaped up and lunged towards me. His speed was astonishing, especially because his leg was still broken. My only guess is that he used his wings to help him stay up. He slammed into me with the force of a freight train. My back hit the wall hard. I saw Jace pull out his knife. Jeff froze.

"Step away from her. That is, unless you want a knife shoved through your back." Jace said calmly. Jeff limped back furiously.

"Just get back on the bed. We're only trying to help. I don't understand your reactions, but maybe we can all work this out after you've healed. We're going to call in a friend to cure you. I suggest you don't move from this bed, otherwise Jace will go after you," Maryse interjected.

Jeff shot a glare in Jace's direction. He stuck out his hand and placed it on the foot of the bed. Using the post to support him, he flopped back down on the mattress. Maryse ushered Jace and I out the door. She followed and locked the door behind her.

"Jace. Stay at the door. Make sure he doesn't try and get out of there. He might hurt himself even more. Clary, come with me." Maryse set off down the hall towards the library.

I walked behind her, trying to keep up with her long strides. She pushed open the large mahogany doors and stepped inside. Sitting in an armchair, was Alec. I hadn't even noticed that he had left Jeff's room.

"So. What do you think?" Alec asked. I shrugged.

"I have absolutely no idea what to do. Jeff is really something else," I sighed, collapsing onto a couch.

"Did you call Bane?" Maryse asked.

"Yes, Magnus is coming. He should be here in about-" A loud crash interrupted Alec's sentence.

The huge stained glass window was shattered and two huge shapes crashed in. They rolled on the carpeted library floor and stood quickly. The first was a blonde girl. She had huge wings, brown at the top then slowly changing into ivory and then finally white at the bottom feathers. The second was a dark haired boy. His wings matched his hair, midnight black. They both looked around in confusion.

"Who are you people?" Maryse asked sharply.

"Or should we say angels?" Alec put his hands in his pockets, looking very nonchalant. I knew better.

"Angels? Try genetic experiments. But you would know that already, wouldn't you?" the girl spat.

"Where's Iggy?" snarled the boy. His eyes were alight with rage.

"We have no idea who Iggy is." I said truthfully.

The girl was about to make another retort, when Maia burst into the room. She stared at the angels, jaw dropping. She shot a questioning look at me, and I could only shrug.

"Well then. This is surprising." Maia said.

"Where. is. Iggy." The girl said, putting as much anger as possible into each word.

"He can't be hard to miss. He's strawberry blonde, tall, has blue eyes and, oh yeah… _wings_." Sarcasm practically dripped from the boy's remark.

"So, you must be Max." Maia's eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms. To my surprise the boy smiled and shook his head in an _oh-you-shouldn't-have-done-that_ sort of look. The girl looked like she was about to explode.

"No. _I_ am Max. Maximum Ride. And I am done asking. I will find him myself," Max ran at the door, the boy right behind her.

"Not so fast-"

Maia blocked the door. Max punched her hard with her left hand, sending Maia sprawling. Max bolted out the door with the boy. Maia stood up, angrily spitting out blood. Fur sprouted from her dark skin, and her mouth and nose elongated into a muzzle. She set off on all fours after them.

Alec and I ran after her. He pulled out two seraph blades, and tossed one to me. Down the hall, I saw that Jeff's door was wide open. Loud crashes and yells came from inside the room.

"What's its name?" I asked Alec.

"Gazardiel!" he called back.

I whispered the name and the seraph blade lit up. With that, I leaped into the fray.

**Max POV:**

Boy, I was _angry._

Recap:

Burst into weird library-ish room.

See random kids/people

Get angry

Ask about Iggy

Make sarcastic remarks

FANG IS MISTAKEN FOR ME.

Run for door, determined to find Iggy and then possibly kick some butt.

Punch girl who said Fang was me.

Run down strange fancy hallway.

Go for door with boy standing in front of it.

"Shit. There's more of you," The blond boy in front of the door spat. I just screamed like a maniac and jumped on top of him.

We rolled into the room, and, by some stroke of luck on Blondie's part, he pinned me to the floor. He spat out blood and pulled a knife from his belt. That's when Fang joined us.

"GET THE HELL OFF OF HER!" Fang roared, kicking Blondie in the shoulder. He flew into the wall, hitting with so much force that a long crack ran up to the ceiling. A picture frame fell on his head and glass shattered all over the floor. To my surprise, he groaned and got up. He was more resilient than I thought. And damn, he looked murderous.

"Max?" That's when I finally noticed the limping, lanky boy sitting on the windowsill. Half his body was already through it, and his wings were half open as well. I guess he was about to make a dramatic escape before we fell through the door.

"Iggy! Why the hell did you go clubbing, you jackass?" I yelled at him.

"Max, this really isn't the time," Fang said, clapping me on the shoulder. I turned around. Unfortunately, while I was fighting Blondie/swearing at Iggy, more idiots decided to join us. Three of them were holding what looked like light sabers and one Eraser was standing beside them.

"Freeze. We have you outnumbered," The emo guy from the library spoke. His stance was casual and one hand was in his pocket. I stealthily tapped Iggy's hand three times. Time for Operation Distraction.

"Dammit Max! I was just about to escape when you had to ruin it!" Iggy growled.

"Hey! I'm not the moron who decided to go clubbing because he was frickin' bored!" I spat.

"Well excuse me for not wanting to see some sissy Broadway show!" He retorted.

"Fang went!"

"Well, Fang might be gay."

"I AM NOT GAY."

Our stupid conversation had successfully confused the light-saber-wielding people. We had slowly inched over to the window. Hopefully, it was big enough to make a faster get away. While I was yelling about the clubbing, I tapped Iggy's hand again, this time twice.

"U and A on three," I whispered.

"One."

We jumped for the window. Iggy slid out easily, having already been sitting on the windowsill. Fang was out next.

"See ya, losers!" I saluted them before jumped out. I was almost out, before my foot caught on something. That something was Blondie. He was holding my right foot in a vice-like grip.

"Let go, you idiot! I will kick you in the face!" I snarled. He grabbed my other foot.

"With what?" he asked, grinning. I snarled and pushed myself back into the room with enough force that both my feet collided with Blondie's chest, regardless of his grip. His breath left his lungs with a soft "oof".

"With _that_, moron," I spat. Fang was already coming in back through the window.

"Max! Are you okay?" He was glaring at my assailant with enough malice to set the room on fire. I was barely aware that the noise level in the room started to increase.

"I'm fine. Just go alrea-" Sleepiness hit me like a ton of Fang-sized bricks. I looked around frantically for a needle poking into my skin, but there was nothing of the sort. Colors swam before my eyes, and black dots erupted, obscuring my vision. The last thing I made out before everything went black was a tall figure standing in the doorway with sparkly blue hair.

**Clary POV:**

I was braced with my weapon as Jace grabbed Max's foot. My mind was swimming, trying to sort through all of the confusion. We rescued and angel, and now other angels were coming to save him from us. And what was all that nonsense about genetic experiments? Oh God, it was way too much. And to think, the biggest of my problems this morning was thinking that people forgot my birthday. Stuff like this really puts your life into perspective, doesn't it?

Suddenly, Max was kicking my Jace in the chest with the speed and force equal to a large Jeep. I was about to jump on her and kick the living **** out of her for doing that to him, before a large hand settled on my shoulder. I looked up to see my favorite warlock.

"Some birthday you're having, huh?" he grunted, before muttering strange words under his breath. He was staring at Max and the other angel boy who had started to come back in through the window. Magnus's voice proceeded to get loud quickly, and in seconds he was all but yelling his incantation. Abruptly, he stopped and I saw Max sway unsteadily. Her eyelids had dropped half-way and her expression was dazed. The barest trace of panic touched her feature as she sluggishly glanced down at her body. She looked back up, her now cloudy eyes locked on Magnus. Then she was falling. Jace had stood and caught her just in time. I couldn't say the same for the angel boy in the window.

He too, had lost consciousness, and tumbled to the floor rather unceremoniously. I ran to the window to help him off the floor just in time to see Jeff flying away. He turned back to the window, pain and worry etched into his face. But then his jaw set with some determination, and he flew lower, hands outstretched like Superman. I sighed and rubbed my temples. I just wanted some sleep. I smiled tiredly at Magnus.

"Thanks. You came just in time, too. This could have gotten ugly," I said.

"Yeah, I could tell. You guys weren't exactly quiet. Now, the question is who or what are these people, and what do we do next?"

That was what we all were wondering.

**So. Good? Bad? Review! I didn't edit this for typos or anything because I REALLY wanted to post it. Thanks for being tolerant. To all of those who stuck with me, I love you guys. Keep reading!**

**~Leopardspotz17**


	5. Aw Hell, This Happens to Us All the Time

**So…. Next chapter! Yay… :) **

_Chapter 4 – What Are the Odds? …Aw Hell, This Happens All the Time to Us Anyways_

**Clary POV:**

Usually a birthday encompasses a few simple joys. Cake, friends and a party. But not mine. I really should have lower expectations.

I sat, slumped, on one of the couches in the library. The early morning breeze was coming in through the broken window and I shivered. We should probably fix that. It was 4 am. Max and the other boy were still out cold. They were in a windowless room this time, and Alec stood outside the door. We weren't about to put a person _inside_ a room with them. We didn't need any fatalities.

My head was spinning. Lack of sleep and the absurd amount of action that took place was too much. I groaned and closed my eyes. All I wanted to do was sleep. But that wasn't going to happen.

"Hey." Jace stood at the library door. He was in much better condition than I. His shock of blonde hair was glowing in the early dawn light, and he was decked out in his Shadowhunting gear. I raised an eyebrow.

"Are we going somewhere?" I asked, standing up from the couch. My shoulders cracked as I stretched. Jace strode over and wrapped his arms around me. I leaned back against his chest and sighed.

"Why the Hell, can't things be simple for once?" I asked, exhausted. I felt Jace shrug.

"Where would be the fun in that?" he answered. I laughed slightly. The large doors of the library swung open as Maryse entered. She nodded at Jace and I before taking a seat at the chair behind the desk. Papers from the tabletop covered the floor from when the two angels burst through the window.

"Well, Bane estimates that they will be regaining consciousness soon. I propose that we send in Bane and you, Clary, to be the diplomats," she said. Jace's grip on my shoulder immediately tightened slightly.

"Is that such a good idea? Those creatures are dangerous. I think I should accompany-" Maryse interrupted him.

"Jace. I do believe they would react quite violently if you entered the room. Clary and the warlock are the least threatening. In addition, Bane has the unique ability among us to render them secure with a few murmurs. The last thing we need is another fight," she said firmly. Jace sighed in irritation. Absentmindedly, he rubbed his chest. Evidently, he was still sore.

Just then, Magnus slipped into the large room. He grinned at Jace.

"You got beat up by a girl," he said simply, chuckling to himself. Jace glared.

"Shove it, warlock." Magnus only laughed again. Jace looked down at me and made a face. I chuckled. He moved and stood from the couch.

"I'm going to get out of here before I lose even more of my dignity. I'll see you later, Clary," he said, kissing me lightly on the forehead. I watched him leave sadly. I was not looking forward to reasoning with Max… if such a thing could possibly be done.

"I guess it's just you and me, Fairchild. Let's go. According to Alec, they're up and banging on the door. We'd better make it quick. They'll be breaking down the door soon!" Magnus smirked.

We walked down the halls at a quick pace, Magnus gliding along easily. It seemed as if I was always the short one. Soon we rounded a corner and spotted Alec. His brow was furrowed and he was carving yet another rune on the door. I could spot several runes that were already carved recently. A large force seemed to strike the door, and the wood shook.

"Christ," I muttered, watching the door shake on its hinges once again. Alec shot a look at Magnus and me.

"Good luck. You'll need it." He stood back and I looked at the door apprehensively. Magnus, unfazed, put his large hand on the door.

"Here goes!" He pushed open the door quickly. A large gust of wind followed him in and knocked back Max, who presumably had been throwing herself against the door. I quickly hopped in before Alec shut the door behind us. Max got up from off the floor, looking angry as ever.

"What the HELL is going on here?" she snapped angrily, taking a fighting stance against us. The dark boy was at her side, watching Magnus with caution. I held up my hands in the international peace gesture.

"We're not going to hurt anybody, ok? We just want to talk. Believe me, we're just as confused as you are," I said calmly. Max glared.

"I highly doubt that," she spat, looking around wildly.

"What are you planning to do with us?" the boy interjected, baring his teeth slightly. I watched as the feathers on his wings ruffled.

"Nothing at all. Just give us the chance to explain." I locked eyes with him. "Please," I murmured, sinking to the floor. I sat cross-legged, watching the two of them. Max seemed ready to make another quip, but the boy put a hand on her shoulder.

"Fang-"

"Max." He interrupted, looking meaningfully at her. With a huff, Max crossed her arms across her chest.

"Fine. Go." She nodded sharply. I smiled the tiniest bit.

"All this started last night. My friends and I were at a club, celebrating my 18th birthday. The club was called _Shadow Wings_. Inside, my friend Maia met Jeff. They were having some stupid argument, I believe. Anyway, I had to pull Maia away to help me retrieve our friend Isabelle who was… never mind. As we were leaving the club, I heard a scream. Maia and I left Isabelle on the curb due to her, for lack of a better word, intoxication. We saw Jeff in an alley being attacked. We fought off the attacker, Maia taking her wolf form. But Jeff was in shock, and was totally freaked. Before he blacked out, he warned us that you'd come for him. We didn't know what else to do, so we brought him here - to the Institute. Then of course, you two arrived…

"That's all we know, I swear. I mean I've met angels, but none were like you. We've got about the same idea about what's going on as you do." I sighed as I finished. I pinched the bridge of my nose. All I wanted now was sleep.

I looked up at Fang and Max. Both of them looked worried and confused.

"Riiight… You'll have to iron out a couple things for us," Fang muttered, running a hand through his inky hair.

"What exactly was attacking Iggy?" Max said, looking sharply at me. I frowned.

"Who the heck is-" Max sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Iggy is Jeff. He was using a different name. Now, WHAT was beating the shit out of him?" Max snapped. Behind the anger was worry and concern. Something was definitely wrong with the whole situation. I looked at Magnus. He shrugged. So they didn't know.

"I believe you will have to work some questions out with us as well. Although I believe that our discussion would be nicer in a better location," Magnus said, gesturing to the door. He looked at Max and Fang quickly.

"I would appreciate if you two wouldn't bolt again. I'd hate to knock you out while you're running full tilt," he said dryly. Max glared.

"Whatever. Open the door."

**Max POV:**

The girl and the tall sparkly one lead us down a labyrinth of hallways. Finally, the red-haired girl stopped outside one of the many doors.

"Here's the kitchen. You guys hungry?" she asked, opening the door. Fang and I glanced at each other. We were starving. But what was the deal? These people knock us out then offer us dinner? Why in the world did I decide to go to New York? I swear, this city was out to eat us alive.

We entered a well-lit kitchen, complete with a bar. The red-haired girl wandered over to the fridge and the blue-haired man leaned against the wall by the door.

"Anything to drink?" she asked, reaching into the depths of the large refrigerator. Fang and I said nothing. We were still unsure of everything. This day was confusing as Hell. Red-head turned around holding a carton of apple juice. She set the carton down and retrieved three glasses from the cabinet. She poured a glass for herself and looked at us.

"Jeez, it's not poisoned or anything. Here," she took a sip, "see?" Fang shrugged and poured himself a glass. He took the liberty of pouring me one too.

"So… you still haven't answered me. What was attacking Iggy?" I asked, eyes trained on the girl. She sighed. Oh no. This was one of those it's-a-long-story sort of answers.

"Well… I guess you ought to know. Jeff-_Iggy_ was being attacked by an Oni demon," she said, completely serious.

"Excuse me, _what_?" I asked, incredulous. Did she say demon?

"He was attacked by an Oni demon." Yep. Fang and I were officially surrounded by crazies. I guess Red-head could read my expression, for she groaned.

"This might take a while to explain. To start, I'd better introduce myself. I'm Clary. That's Magnus over there." Clary tilted her head to the tall man by the door. He smirked and waved.

"I am a Shadowhunter. Shadowhunters are part of a world you never knew existed. A world full of demons, angels, and other creatures thought to only exist in stories. You see, it all started with a rip in the dimensions. There are multiple dimensions that exist. In one of these dimensions, demons live. Demons are awful, blood-lusting creatures that want only to destroy our world. They come to Earth through this rip in the dimensions. It may sound crazy, but it was one of those demons that attacked Iggy.

"We Shadowhunters are responsible for keeping the monsters at bay, and saving the mundanes… that is, all the normal people that are unaware of our constant war. But Shadowhunters and demons aren't the alone in this insanity. There are also the Downworlders. Downworlders make up the other species. They are the Fair Folk, the Children of the Night, Lilith, and Moon. Simply put, they are faeries, vampires, warlocks, and werewolves. That is what Maia is. Je-Iggy called her an Eraser I believe… Although, that term is not familiar to me at all.

"As for last night, the specific demon that we saw was an Oni demon. It was trying to drag Iggy away. Maia and I took care of it easily enough… it is our job after all. But the fact that it was an Oni demon that attacked Iggy is what I find worrying. Oni demons are basically retrieval demons. They are rare to find. On the occasion when we do come across them, they've been summoned by someone. So, something is after Iggy. They clearly want him alive, whoever summoned the Oni. So, this is where I need to ask some questions. Is there anyone after you guys? I can assume so… just taking account of your reactions when you came here…" Clary trailed off.

I was silent, jaw hanging open slightly. And here I thought my life was fucked up.

**Pardon the language everybody! I'll pick up with Max's POV tomorrow. I figured this was long enough a chapter. Where is Iggy? Ahh… 'til next time, good reader.**

**ALSO – So sorry for my writing incompetence! So many of you have yelled at me for being stupid and putting all my stuff on hiatus. HUGE thanks to all of you. I really love you guys. I'm so sorry for leaving you all hanging. The problem with me is that I start out great with beginning ideas. But I often have a tendency of burning out. Love you all!**

**~ Leopardspotz17**


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